After day one of Podcamp Boston, a few thoughts:
1. Why didn’t anyone tell me about Podcamp before now? Many, many thanks to AnnbKingman for giving me the heads-up!

2. There are some very smart and engaged people making a living in new media, and they are more than willing to share much of their experience and expertise, and they are enthusiastic in doing so. How many other industries can make this claim?

3. Content is king and an engaged audience is a close second. These are the primary means to monetization. There are no silver bullets, no magic advertising or sponsoring formulas, despite the number of people in search of them today.

3. Humility and self-deprecation result in greater attention and respect. Self-aggrandizing, self-promotion and the hard sell always strike me as desperate and weak.

4. Why no female presenters?

Oh, and if you have something negative to say to a presenter about his craft in the midst of his presentation, have the decency to say it when the session is over. Do not air your criticism publicly. These are people who are giving of their time and expertise, and while this does not inoculate them from scrutiny and criticism, they have a right to expect civility and respect during their presentation.